Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
211 words
A sheet drying apparatus comprising: a movable endless foraminous conveyor for carrying fibrous sheet material to be dried; forming means for forming said sheet material on said conveyor from liquid stodz deposited on said conveyor; a rotary dryer drum having foraminous side wall about which said conveyor extends for drying the sheet material on the same conveyor on which it is formed; support means including bearings for supporting the dryer drum for rotation; a plurality of separate vacuum chambers fixedly mounted within the dryer drum for drawing moisture from the sheet material into said chambers through said side wall of said drum, each chamber having a separate fixed exhaust conduit which extends out through an end of the dryer drum at a position radially spaced from the support means; vacuum means connected to the exhaust conduits of said vacuum chambers for independently controlling the vacuum pressures in said chambers; heating means outside of the dryer drum for causing heated gas to flow through the sheet material and said conveyor into said vacuum chambers for heating the sheet material in a plurality of heating zones of different temperatures positioned over and in registration with the vacuum chambers; and removal means for removing the sheet material from said conveyor after it is dryed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
211 words
A sheet drying apparatus comprising: a movable endless foraminous conveyor for carrying fibrous sheet material to be dried; forming means for forming said sheet material on said conveyor from liquid stodz deposited on said conveyor; a rotary dryer drum having foraminous side wall about which said conveyor extends for drying the sheet material on the same conveyor on which it is formed; support means including bearings for supporting the dryer drum for rotation; a plurality of separate vacuum chambers fixedly mounted within the dryer drum for drawing moisture from the sheet material into said chambers through said side wall of said drum, each chamber having a separate fixed exhaust conduit which extends out through an end of the dryer drum at a position radially spaced from the support means; vacuum means connected to the exhaust conduits of said vacuum chambers for independently controlling the vacuum pressures in said chambers; heating means outside of the dryer drum for causing heated gas to flow through the sheet material and said conveyor into said vacuum chambers for heating the sheet material in a plurality of heating zones of different temperatures positioned over and in registration with the vacuum chambers; and removal means for removing the sheet material from said conveyor after it is dryed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
33 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the support means includes trunnion rollers engaging the side wall of the dryer drum and spaced from the foraminous conveyor and sheet material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the trunnion rollers engage the outer surface of said side wall at the opposite ends of the dryer drum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which at least one of the trunnion rollers are driven by a motor to rotate the dryer drum which drives the conveyor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the heating means supplies heated air which flows through the sheet material and the foraminous conveyor into the vacuum chambers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the heating means includes a plurality of separate hoods containing the heating zones, and which supplies heated air flowing through the sheet material and the foraminous conveyor into the vacuum chambers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the exhaust outlets of the vacuum chambers are each coupled to one of the hoods positioned over a different vacuum chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 which also includes press roll means between said forming means and the dryer drum, for removing moisture from the sheet material by pressing before it reaches the dryer drum.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the sheet material is paper.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the first vacuum chamber reached by the sheet material is of substantially the same size as the next successive vacuum chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which there are at least three vacuum chambers spaced circumferentially around the axis of the dryer drum and extending longitudinally of said drum, each of said vacuum chambers being of a different vacuum pressure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 11 in which all of the vacuum chambers are of substantially the same size.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
42 words
A drying apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the rotary dryer dries the sheet material sufficiently on the forming conveyor so that no further through drying with heated gas is necessary after said sheet material is removed from said conveyor.